VR Hack

Five

Cleaners in RL specialise in cleaning things or places. In VR they are AI subroutines that identify abnormal code or malware and clean them from systems. They have on occasion been ordered by the D.A.R.K web to cross the border and clean away threats from the RL system. (M A Gray)

"Let me guess. Cleaner."

"Very good. Gold star!"

"Yeah I remember you. You came into my room at the hospital and whispered in my ear. Your breath smelt oily."

"What do you expect I am a machine."

She pushed the muzzle of her gun into my ribs. It pushed through the gap in my clothing. It felt cold. "Now I want you to get off at the next stop. No sudden moves."

I hissed back over my shoulder: "F***k off! Leave me alone!"

I was holding onto one of the central poles in a carriages that I was riding. Where were coming into Grand Central. I felt a sap. Why hasn't I moved away when I'd felt someone close in behind me?

We got off onto the platform. I turned to face her. She was amazing looking. Incredibly sexy. But in a kinda of I'm going to kill you sort of way. Her red hair was chiselled into a bob and her eyes were like unhealthy bright candy. They were green luminescent rings that snaked around the pupils. She was my height and wore brown leather skin tight trousers with a black biker jacket with epaulettes. On her feet she wore black leather pixie boots. She nudged me over to a bench on the platform. We sat down. She pushed the gun into her pocket and sat close to me. I could feel the tip or the gun press up against me through the material.

"So where's Scarlet?"

"Good question Cleaner. Where is she?"

"Don't get cute with me Harper where is she?"

"Hey stop poking me with that it might go off! And why are you after her? What did she ever do to you?"

"You don't have any idea what you're mixed up in?"

"Yes please educate me. Tell me what I'm mixed up in."

"A war."

"A war?"

"Yes between order and chaos."

"Order and chaos? What does that mean?"

She rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Don't you see the chaotic soup you're floating in? You users are so arrogant when you think about all you've achieved in RL. But there's so much you haven't eradicated such as suffering, hunger, pain, greed, selfishness and torture. In the new world order that we will ultimately bring. There will be none of these."

I looked at her. Her face was impassive when she spoke. It was beautiful but something was missing. It was like an exquisitely pained face on bone china. But with no warmth.

She stood up. Then said: "Human I believe you. You obviously don't know where she is. I'm not going to clean you today so get along. But I'll be monitoring you. Also conserve your energy I can see that you are still tired from you wound. Don't bother to run if you see me I can anticipate you and follow better than anything you can comprehend. It would be good for me if you located the code called Scarlet." She walked away. Her heels echoed across the platform.

"Hey what did you mean by code?" I shouted after her. But she was gone in amongst the bustle of people that had come down an escalator.

****

I popped into a fast food joint and grabbed a burger it tasted good I hadn't had anything since twelve. Then I headed up to Grand Central. As I entered like always it took my breath away. The architecture was stunning. Sunlight thronged through the high window onto the hustle and bustle of commenters below. I really liked this place because it made me remember all the films I had loved. As I descended the steps I thought about that shoot em up scene in Carlitos Way. Where Al Pacino manoeuvred around the very steps I travelled down to get away from gangsters. The Cleaners were my gangsters.

At the bottom I scanned around for the Kiosk. Nothing. I moved further in. Then I felt someone on my arm. She was just under six foot and blonde. It was another Cleaner. I could tell from her outfit: Biker jacket, leather trousers and pixie boots. Then there were her eyes. Why didn't other people see it?

However, there was a difference to her colleague. She wore a smile. That hinted at warmth. She tugged again on my arm but it was playful and gentle in manner. At least she wasn't jamming a gun into my gut. Looked like they were going to try a different approach.

She lent into me and said: "Come with me." Her accent was English. She sounded like a Royal.

****

She ordered for us. Then we sat in a cafe over looking the main concourse at Grand Central.

I cut into my apple pie. We teens love our food even under threat of death. In between bites I sipped my coke. Then when finished I burped and asked my question: "Are you going to Clean me?"

"Ah I see you've met my sister Red. She's pushy and rude. I must apologies for her."

I notice her glass of water was untouched. She followed my eyes. They like Red's were luminescent but instead of green they were a beautiful blue almost purple.

"I don't drink or ingest food. Bad for the circuits and the biological part of me really struggles with it."

I decided I wasn't going to probe down that rabbit hole.

"So you want to know where Scarlet is and you like Red are from D.A.R.K."

The corners of her lips lifted in a smile revealing perfectly white teeth. I noticed how smooth and sculptured her incisors were. It really looked like she'd love to take a bite out of me.

"Well I wouldn't be as crude as to go down that
pointed demand again. But it would help us and you."

The echo of a tannoy reverberated around Grand Central. It provided a natural break in the conversation.

Suddenly Red appeared carrying a brief case. My coffee and pie were pushed to one side. The case was placed down. Red disappeared.

"What's this?"

The blonde Cleaner smiled. "It's what most of your kind want and need. Money." She then placed her right on top to stop me from taking it. "But it comes Harper with string attached. You give use Scarlet."

I stood up. "I'm going. Stuff that where the sun don't shine." She smiled again. Her teeth were so sharp and white.

"That's a shame." She cocked her head to one side and studied my like a Zoologist studying a rare natural specimen.

I walked off determined not to look back. My heart thudded in my chest.

****

I went for one of the lesser know exits from the station. As I went I couldn't shake the habit of glancing over my shoulder. I couldn't see them. But I knew they were there.

Then my eye caught on something. It was a board resting against a small Kiosk. There it was a small banner above a board. It said: Badge Attack.

I spoke to the owner of the Kiosk. He was in his early thirties and yes he remembered the badge . He had made it. It had originated from a business card that he had found on the North West corner of Central Park. In a bar called The Jug of Beer. I thanked him and made my way to that destination.

****

When I arrived there was no bar. Just a scorched area of damaged earth and brick where the bar had burnt down.